Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 Apr 1994

Vol. 442 No. 1

Written Answers. - Role of Garda.

Liz McManus

Question:

25 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice the number of members of the Garda acting as school attendance officers; her views on whether this is an appropriate role for the gardaí; the plans, if any, she has to review the role of gardaí in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

Full-time school attendance officers are employed by the borough councils in Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Dún Laoghaire. Outside of the borough areas, the Garda Síochána is the enforcing authority for the School Attendance Act, 1926.

The Garda authorities inform me that there are 827 gardaí acting as school attendance officers throughout the country. However, no member of the Garda Síochána is actually deployed full-time on school attendance duties. All the members who perform such duties are available for, and perform, the full range of Garda duties and the work is generally undertaken in connection with juvenile liaison or community-neighbourhood Garda work.

My colleague, the Minister for Education, published a school attendance-truancy report earlier this month, and the recommendations of this report, in so far as they impinge on the role of the Garda Síochána in this area, are currently being considered in my Department in conjunction with the Garda authorities. One of the recommendations of this report is that detailed discussions should take place between officials of my Department and the Departments of Education and Health on this matter. It is my intention that these discussions will take place and that the future role of the Garda Síochána in this whole area will be subject to this review.